Attention

Attention refers to the ability to select relevant information for further processing while filtering out irrelevant information.

I study the neurophysiological mechanisms implemented in fronto-parietal cortical networks during the orienting and re-orienting of visuospatial attention and their effects on information processing in sensory cortices.

Spadone S, Della Penna S, Sestieri C, Betti V, Tosoni A, Perrucci MG, Romani GL, Corbetta M. Dynamic reorganization of human resting-state networks during visuospatial attention. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Jun 30;112(26):8112-7.
Capotosto P, Spadone S, Tosoni A, Sestieri C, Romani GL, Della Penna S, Corbetta M.. Dynamics of EEG rhythms support distinct visual selection mechanisms in parietal cortex: a simultaneous transcranial magnetic stimulation and EEG study. J Neurosci. 2015 Jan 14;35(2):721-30.
Capotosto P, Tosoni A, Spadone S, Sestieri C, Perrucci MG, Romani GL, Della Penna S, Corbetta M. Anatomical segregation of visual selection mechanisms in human parietal cortex. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2013, 33(14):6225-9.
Sestieri C, Sylvester CM, Jack AI, d’Avossa G, Shulman GL, Corbetta M. Independence of anticipatory signals for spatial attention from number of nontarget stimuli in the visual field. Journal of Neurophysiology 2008, 100(2): 829–838.

Summary of the changes in the patterns of functional and effective connectivity within and between the visual and the dorsal fronto-parietal networks from a rest condition to the execution of a demanding visuo-spatial attention task. A stable backbone of within-network functional connectivity topography remains in place when transitioning between resting wakefulness and attention selection. However, a relative decrease of correlation of ongoing “idling” activity in visual cortex and synchronization between frontoparietal and visual cortex occur and are related to task performance (from Spadone et al., 2015)